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The Enforcement Directorate (ED) of India announced on Wednesday that it has provisionally attached assets valued at Rs 129.85 crore in connection with a major investigation into the supply of adulterated ghee to the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD). The central agency alleges that the accused companies engaged in a massive hawala racket involving the supply of adulterated fats worth Rs 234.5 crore for the preparation of the world-famous 'laddu prasadam' at the Andhra Pradesh temple.
The provisional attachment order was issued under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) against several entities and their promoters. The Tirupati Laddu, traditionally referred to as the 'Srivari Laddu', has been the primary offering at the temple for over three centuries, making the quality of its ingredients a matter of significant public and religious concern.
Key entities named in the ED's statement include Bhole Baba Organic Dairymilk and Sri Vyshnavi Dairy Specialities, alongside their promoters Vipin Jain and Pomil Jain. Sukriti Foods and its promoter, Kailash Chand Mangla, are also central to the investigation. The agency detailed how Bhole Baba allegedly supplied the adulterated product both directly and through various front dairies that participated in TTD tenders for commissions.
According to the ED, the adulterated ghee was manufactured at factories belonging to Bhole Baba and Sukriti Foods. The process involved blending refined palm oil, palm kernel oil, and palmolein with additives such as monoglycerides, lactic acid, beta-carotene, and acetic acid ester. These mixtures were then falsely invoiced as edible oils to bypass standard checks. To mask the illicit operations, the companies reportedly manipulated their accounting books, recording fictitious purchases of milk and ghee and recording palm oil consumption as sales to bogus buyers.
The financial trail revealed that payments made through official banking channels for these fake purchases were funneled back to the accused in cash via hawala networks. This cash was subsequently used to pay commissions to front dairies and fund other parties involved in the conspiracy. The money laundering case follows an FIR and chargesheets filed by the Andhra Pradesh Police, which allege a criminal conspiracy that cheated the temple administration and endangered public health.
The ED's ongoing investigation saw raids conducted across multiple Indian states in June, resulting in the arrests of Vipin Jain and Kailash Chand Mangla as the authorities seek to dismantle the network responsible for generating these unlawful gains.
Source: Times Now